By Jim Bloch
Two international opera celebrities will visit St. Clair County Community College for two performances on Friday.
Mia Mandineau and Nathalie Doucet will sing in the college’s Fine Arts Theatre in Port Huron at noon and 7 p.m., Dec. 5.
The performances are part of SC4’s Noon and Night Concert Series.
Mandineau is a resident artist with the Detroit Opera, Michigan’s premier opera company, which performs in the historic Detroit Opera House, built in 1922 as the Capitol Theatre. Her residency is for the 2025-2026 season. A soprano, she will perform in the company’s The Handmaiden’s Tale March 1-7, 2026, and The Apartment House 1776, May 15-24.
She won her district and earned a spot as a regional finalist in the 2024 Metropolitan Opera’s Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. The competition is designed to discover promising opera singers and help them develop their careers. She landed a fellowship to the State University of New York Fredonia School of Music.
Mandineau, who has a master’s degree in vocal performance, founded L’Opera et ses Zouz (“Opera and its Kids”), the educational YouTube channel on which she educates listeners about opera in French and English.
Doucet is the Head of Music and Director of the Resident Artist Program at Detroit Opera. She has attracted and international following for her piano playing and her work as a vocal coach. She earned degrees in piano performance and pedagogy from l’Université de Moncton and l’Université de Montréal.
She works with leading opera houses and orchestras worldwide and brings nearly three decades of experience as a music educator and pianist to SC4. She previously held positions in Europe as Head Coach of Opera Studio Nederland and Principal Coach at the Dutch National Opera Academy, according to the college. Her expertise and mentorship continue to shape the next generation of opera talent.
“The arts enrich every corner of our community,” said Sarah Rutallie, chief of staff and senior vice president of the college. “The arts spark curiosity, nurture creativity, and connect us to one another. Welcoming world-class artists like Mia Mandineau and
Nathalie Doucet to SC4 reminds us how vital live performance is in inspiring both current and future generations.”
Both performances are free and open to the public.
The next Noon and Night Concert is Thursday, Jan. 15, featuring Mert Sala, a flamenco guitarist from Turkey.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
